The recent 4-2 loss by AFC Leopards Cubs is a result not consistent with Ingwe’s youth team ambitions, according to their team leadership.Allowing four goals from a team previously placed 9th on the 15-team FKF Division Two Zone C table standings means the Cubs, coached by Martin Aganda, have their work cut out for them if finishing in a promotion slot is still part of their ambitions.##NAJAVA_MECA_8142248##Moses Oyengo plays in central defense for Coach Aganda’s lads and partially reveals what makes it tough for the promising team in the third tier.”We are AFC Leopards, so of course, everyone will give their all when playing against us. No one lets their guard down. We understand this and have always approached every match with caution. Against Umulqura, we had a few off-field issues, I’d say,” Oyengo says.The Cubs have, however, won 7 of their 15 games for the season so far, losing only on three occasions. Jamal Abeid leads upfront in goals for Aganda’s men and alongside Len Mung’aho, who returned to action over the weekend with two goals, have been tasked with delivering the goal-goodies for Cubs. The side also boasts such experienced names as Zachary Njite, who has had a spell with the senior team in the past.Few matches remain for Leopards, and Oyengo maintains that the top position is their quest. They intend to go into the promotion playoffs for a spot in Division 1.”We still have a few games, which we will give everything to and hope for a top slot finish. It is still our aim that we go into the promotion playoffs for Div1 as position one on the log. The league leaders are not too far off,” he continues.Kangemi All Stars lead the Zone C standings, a massive seven points adrift of Leopards.The Leopards Cubs have in the past provided their senior team with academy graduates who went on to excel in the senior team. This is a project still taken seriously by the club, and Oyengo himself has seen some of his teammates scale up.Nzoia Sugar Coach Mururi optimistic about swift return to FKF Premier LeagueEarlier in the midseason, AFC Leopards celebrated 60 years of existence with an exhibition match against the Spanish side AE Ramassa. Coach Aganda came up with a brilliant idea that saw the Cubs added to the Spanish team for reinforcement as they played AFC Leopards legends. Oyengo, tasked with the central defensive duties on the day, says he gained a lot from those few minutes in the Spanish team’s colors.”They warmly welcomed us and made us feel part of their team,” he says of Ramassa. “It was like playing for a professional team in Europe because everything from the changing room to the field was professional. Even though the coach was Spanish, his communication in English was clear and that enabled us, the Cubs, to fit into his playing style well. I think we all gained a little from that match.”The Cubs were introduced in the second half when the legends led by four goals to one. Their relentless pressing of the Leopards legends ensured the deficit was reduced to just one goal before full time.Coach Aganda’s men now know that with the premier league coming to a close, more Ingwe eyes will focus on their junior side, hence the need for proper results in the remaining fixtures and a possible financial bailout for a team that still struggles in that regard.Pomp and color as triumphant Shujaa return home
